The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-11
INFORMATION ABOUT GAS
The Aldermen Discuss Further the
Ordinance Regulating Its Supply.
Views from Various Stand Points as to What
Should Be Done-More About the Rela-
tive Cost Of Gas and Coal.


nearly three weeks considering it The Council
had no sooner passed the ordinance than the
general impression as to the need OF amend
ments, together with early action, induced the
aldermen to gather all the information they
could IS to the wishes of citizens man ufacturers
and the companies desiring the franchise. They
have been supplied with ideas and ideas, and
in the process Of sitting them they became
somewhat befogged between scientific and prac-
tical knowledge. A gentleman told them at
their third informal meeting, last night that tho
scientific features of a natural gas supply would
take care of themselves. All the citizens and
manufacturers wanted the aldermen TO do was
to pass a practical and common -sense ordinance
that would protect the city without being bur-
deusome to the companies operating under it.
But in the course of the meeting tho aldermen,
being searchingly inquisitive as to natural gas
and the m ethods of distributing it, could not
get away from questions that involved scien-
tifc replies. Some time was thus used,
but discarding heat units in the relation Of
gas to coal. the system of laying pipes, the de-
vices for reducing pressure from $50 pounds at
the rock to four and half ounces in the surface
pipes, and other matters of that kind, they got
some practical information that will cause ma
teral change in the ordinance.
Mr.. Mansfield, of the Standard Oil Company
was present by invitation. It was desired that
he should tell them something more in regard to
calculating rates. He said he did not know that
the method could be made palmer than it had
been through the press. The instances of cal
culaton wherein gas shown to be much
cheaper than coal were from figures submitted
to him by consumers of coal
Have you patent on the mixer2" inquired
alderman.
7 l.
it. Any company can use the mixer. We have
control of it.
''What capacity during the twenty-four hours
will the different mixers measured
Il have no positive knowledge but the No s.
think, will take about 500 cubic feet in that
time, the No from 700 to 500 feet, and the No.
from 800 to 400 feet. The pressure will be II
ounces, and the price. based this capacity, is
about 20 cents per 900 cubic feet At the out
Set. one company said that it would be more sat
isfactory to the consumers If they were permit
ted to make their contracts with US, but a max
lmum was insisted on, and that we have sub
mitted on calculations on full coal prices. 1t is
not to be understood that the company will
charge this maximum. If we knew positively
the supply could get for Indianapolis
there would be need to look out for
tneencies. Some people would gladly use gas
at the prices named, and if we had a supply
sufficient only for fifty miles of pipes we could
sell the gas as a luxury and get our money back.
But if we are held down to low rates on such
meagre supply. we could be certain only of loss
on our investment. Natural gas is not a certain
or continuous quantity. In Pennsylvania there
has been. within the past few months, de-
cided reduction in pressure. This has made
our company more conservative. There il
another Feature Piping a distance
of twenty miles Is an experiment with
in Indiana At the outset we can count on but
$50 pounds rock pressure, which must necessar-
lily be diminished to $50 pounds at its entrance
to the city high-pressure mains. Hence this
leaves only to conjecture the supply of
wells. In forty five wells opened, can get
but about thirty that can be used. If we knew
the exact quantity of gas we had, the figures
to prices could be made very close Aside from
this there is another risk assumed by the
company. Even if the prices are one-half tho
schedule presented, we cannot force the people
to take the gas"
Mr.. Mansfield said the company would rather
supply ten cities of 10, 900 inhabitants each than
one of 100000 His explanation of this
that if the gas field supplying a small city from
few wells failed it would not follow that all
would fail. Again. the smaller the place, the
smaller the sum required to give it a pipeline
system. But for a city like Indianapolis" he
continued, I'VE will have to lay larger mains and
more of them. In other respects the invest
fields should fail the loss would be large" He
gave this as a reason why he thought the
Youngstown prices were equitable for Indianap-
oils.
Mr. Atkins was asked if he had anything adj
ditional to offer He replied that he had seen
mono of the manufacturers since the last meet
ing, and that he represented no one but himself.
He thought though that while the con-
tract system with manufacturers had its advant-
ages there should be maximum price placed
in the ordinance SO that manufacturers could
know upon what to depend. The manufacturers
here use largely mt coal. It is not slack. To
discount slack 30 per cent. of it's net cost would
be unj ust to the pipe-lin company; but nut coal
afforded basis. It cost 81. 90 - ton, and upon
so per cent of that the 20 for gas should
be cents per 1000 cubic feet He favored
either the meter or mixer sysrem 1t is better
that the price should be fixed, because the pricek
of coal are fuctuating II have information"
he said. that leads me to believe that gas can
nn f~r piohA Of x
], 900 cubic feet at a profit This calculation il
based on Is. 900 feet of gas being equal to ton
of nut coal"
Mr. Mansfield and Major Calkins maintained
that Mr.. Atklns's calculation really 20
cents per ton for nut, and that the $4,000 cubic
feet equivalent to a ton of nut coal should be
figured on the cost per ton, which would make
the cost of gas 10 cents per 1000 cubic feet
This Mr. Atkins admitted He closed with
the remark; IF our manufacturers are furn-
ished fuel equal to what they are using at one
half 60 per cent of what they are paying,
think it will be just both to them and the COM
pany." He would be satisfied, but would like to
have the mixer indicate definite quantity Of
gas used
Alderman Prier thought the question waa
should be appointed to confer with COMMITTEES
of two from the manufacturers. Upon the re-
suits of that conference a list of prices could be
proposed and reported to the meeting of the Al
dermen two weeks hence. He made motion
dale suggested that if COMMITTEES
OF the kind was appointed 1t could report uy
Monday night The ordinance once before the
could be discussed, and If no conclu-
sion was reached the board could adjourn from
time to time until it matured There is
strong opposition. he said, to any further delay,
and the sooner the question is settled the better
it will be for the city. Indianapolis Is attracting
attentio outside. and it leads to unfriendly
criticism. 1t is said that the city is not able to
deal with the matter in a business like manner.
He hoped the ordinance would be such ia
make it an inducemeut for manufacturers to
hara
meter ought to be satisfactory in settling ths
cost of gas supply. A fair ordinance will find
capital ready to bring gas here-an unfair one
will keep it out But the Council and aldermen
cannot prevent it from being brought to the city
limits, where manufacturers will seek it.
Dr. H r. Allen said the avariciousness of the
Standard Gil Company had been held up to the
people by the News. He had no fear of 1t. he
would in fact, be better pleased to have that
money bring to the city than to
have it done by home capital The Standard